This disclosure relates to alternating current voltage controllers, more particularly to controllers for removing the ballast current in the event of a lamp fault to avoid the flow of reactive energy through the ballast, and for further avoiding the overall system power factor degradation associated with multiple ballast systems.
The need of maintaining a high power factor of high-intensity-discharge (HID) lighting systems including ballasts and lamps is critical in large lighting systems, particularly in the event of a lamp malfunction or a lamp shut down. Furthermore, the degradation of the lighting system's power factor may result in the failure to comply with electrical power standards for various areas or countries. Ultimately, most utilities companies are using both active and reactive energy counters in large industrial electric systems, such as public illumination systems. This would result in paying the bill for unnecessary reactive energy in the event the ballast operates with a defective lamp.